19 U.S.C. § 2532: Federal standards-related activities

the acceptance of the product for testing in comparable situations; the administration of the tests in comparable situations; the fees charged for tests; the release of test results to the exporter, importer, or agents; the siting of testing facilities and the selection of samples for testing; and the treatment of confidential information pertaining to the product. Except as provided in subparagraph (B)(ii), each Federal agency, in developing standards, shall take into consideration international standards and shall, if appropriate, base the standards on international standards. National security requirements. The prevention of deceptive practices. The protection of human health or safety, animal or plant life or health, or the environment. Fundamental climatic or other geographical factors. Fundamental technological problems. In developing standards, a Federal agency may, but is not required to, take into consideration any international standard promulgated by an international standards organization the membership of which is described in section 2571(6)(A)(ii) 1 of this title. 1 See References in Text note below. Each Federal agency shall, if appropriate, develop standards based on performance criteria, such as those relating to the intended use of a product and the level of performance that the product must achieve under defined conditions, rather than on design criteria, such as those relating to the physical form of the product or the types of material of which the product is made. Each Federal agency shall, with respect to any conformity assessment procedure used by it, permit access for obtaining an assessment of conformity and the mark of the system, if any, to foreign suppliers of a product on the same basis as access is permitted to suppliers of like products, whether of domestic or other foreign origin.